Answered prayer – insurance not ony approved Entresto for Manny in record time but after making several calls to the drug reps, Tracy was able to secure a FREE 30-day drug trial, plus a subsequent discounted $10/month co-pay for a medication that would normally cost $600+/month! After being on this new medication for the past 4 weeks, test results show that so far, Manny’s kidneys, liver and heart seem to be processing it fairly well. The cardiologist just wants us to regularly monitor Manny’s blood pressure since Entresto can cause it to dip too low. We will also need to check his potassium at each return visit since on the flip side, Entresto can cause increased potassium levels in the blood. Brief episodes of shortness of breath and occasional stomach pain have also been a concern, all side effects. Although Manny’s heart function remains low at around 35% and his resting heart rate is often still in the 110s which is too high, we will stay the course with his current medication and thank God for another mostly “uneventful” cardiac month.

In the meantime, please pray for the Entresto to do its job with minimal side effects and that we get the proper adjustments made on his life vest which recently, has wanted to defibrillate him for no reason and he’d much rather avoid the imminent shock to his system, literally! Pray that if it’s simply a software settings issue, which it very well could be, that this could be resolved soon as it’s rather disturbing to Manny when the siren goes off, he’s correctly pressing the buttons to deactivate the impending treatment, but the system ignores the first few commands and the auto-defibrillate “go” timer is tick-tocking. It’s like A.I. gone mad! However, given the choice between having a defibrillator surgically implanted vs daily dealing with the glitching life vest, Manny will take the glitchy life vest!

You couldn’t ask for a more active month of March for Manny: skiing for the first time, a Hapkido Awards Ceremony, and yes, more freebies to redeem!

This nearby ski resort offered a $30 Homeschool Family discount, lift ticket and rental gear included (!), so in a moment of spontaneity, not knowing when Manny would ever have the opportunity again to try, we borrowed snow gear from kind homeschool friends and enjoyed a daunting day on the slopes with our good friends the Serbs!

Unfortunately, by the time we checked in, all the beginner ski lessons were sold out, so the kids had to figure things out on their own – not a very good way to start considering Mom hadn’t skiied in about 25 years, and Dad still hadn’t learned from 20+ years ago himself AND was suffering from severe back pain the day before, uh-oh!

Thus, it was all downhill for Manny: (Oh no! The video we took is refusing to load, so we leave you on a cliffhanger until we can figure out how to properly upload it later – stay tuned!)

Regardless, after too many falls to count and a heart that was working overtime from exertion, Manny had to call it quits after lunch but that’s okay, he and his sibs will always be at the top of the perseverance podium in their parents’ eyes.

Although skiing didn’t quite agree with Manny, he was very agreeable earning his yellow belt at the Hapkido Awards Ceremony, praise God!

All this regular exercise on an already-strained heart makes Manny hungry, so it was time to redeem his belated Red Robin free birthday burger. Sometimes we joke that since his heart seems to be giving out anyway, he might as well enjoy all his favorite fatty foods, especially BACON! (But notice he chose steamed broccoli to accompany all that saturated fat – yeah! Never mind the fact Mom requested melted butter for him to dunk it in.)

Besides being an advocate of “the more calories for Manny, the better,” and in regularly advocating for Manny’s care, Tracy is mindful that we already HAVE the Best Advocate of all – Jesus Christ, with God the Father as “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1) Being transferred from drug rep to drug rep on incredibly lengthy calls can be rather wearisome, but the Bible exhorts us in Galatians 6:9, “let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up.” Recently, after thanking them for their time, Tracy asked how she could pray for each representative and learned of these hard workers’ own troubles in life. One woman recently discovered her 11-year old daughter was diabetic. Tracy had the wonderful opportunity to pray for her and offer her the True Hope that is found in Christ. Afterwards, the woman burst into tears of appreciation for the prayer offered over the phone. Another drug rep was encouraged to read her Bible more faithfully after being prayed for. Finally, on a different phone call, Tracy had the privilege to lead a 70-year old woman to a personal relationship with Christ; this dear lady had sadly been severely abused and bullied as a child but now realizes that God’s mercies are new every morning, Hallelujah! Tracy thanks God that Manny often prays for her before she takes or makes any of these phone calls – along with her family, he is a faithful partner in prayer.

Indeed, though various trials can send us emotionally downhill at times and though they often attempt to shock our system, let us stay the course and share the Good News, especially as we prepare to celebrate His Resurrection Day on Easter Sunday. Thank YOU for your continued faith-filled prayers, words of encouragement, and practical support – you are LOVED! 

-The Lees